Resurrect a beloved name and attempt to relaunch a franchise? No sweat. Extreme pressure was riding on co-writer/director J.J. Abrams’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Expectations are more than high for the film, and while this sequel doesn’t quite recapture the glory of the old days, if often comes very close.

“The Force Awakens” is both a retread and a callback to “A New Hope.” Rey (Daisey Ridley) follows in the footsteps of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill): she’s an orphaned scavenger on a desert planet, Jakku, and she’s torn between her home and exploring the galaxy. Her life changes when she meets the adorable BB-8, a droid hiding a secret for the best damn Resistance pilot in the sky, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). A conflicted Stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) crosses paths with both Poe and Rey, but most of “The Force Awakens” is about those two, as well as the pair of recognizable faces they team up with along the way: Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew).

Even before Han and Chewie appear – and what a wonderful reveal it is – “The Force Awakens” is undeniably a “Star Wars” movie. The film recaptures the spirit of the original trilogy, as it should. The tangible environments, practical creatures and stakes are “Star Wars” through and through, but more than that, it’s the sense of joy, pain and adventure that Abrams and his co-writers, Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt, bring to this sequel that makes it “Star Wars.” This series has always been about friendship and family, and “The Force Awakens” doesn’t forget that, even if some of the relationships aren’t very well defined.

“The Force Awakens” leaves you wanting more, which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing. As a standalone experience, it’s not always completely satisfying. For example, you don’t see enough of Finn and Poe. There’s more to come from these two, obviously, but the script doesn’t give us enough time with them to make their emotional beats connect. Rey and Finn are friends and like each other, but why? Why do they care so much about each other? Both are lonely, but their friendship rarely goes beyond banter.

As the film sometimes rushes to set pieces, it feels like some much-needed character beats were left on the cutting room floor. And if you’re expecting to see a new badass female villain with Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), that’ll have to wait, because beyond her promising introduction, she’s underutilized. The real villain of the film is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a mysterious and menacing figure. Right from the start, he doesn’t show mercy, but he’s more than a bloodthirsty villain. Kylo is conflicted in some ways, making him a fascinating and (at times) surprisingly funny antagonist.

The real stars of the show are Han, Chewbacca and Rey, and the three of them are a delight. Their banter and connection is believable and real. “The Force Awakens” is kind of a road trip movie, and spending time with these three is hardly a chore: Ford hasn’t been this charismatic in a while, jumping back into the role of Han Solo without any trouble; Chewie is as lovable as ever; and Rey is a compelling protagonist, as she’s strong but not without fear.

“The Force Awakens” introduces a new band of characters that you can’t wait to spend more time with. While Abrams doesn’t give each one the attention they deserve, this is still a fine introduction for the new trilogy. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” delivers when it really needs, too. The big moments in this movie – which should go unspoiled – are immensely satisfying, and for a lot of fans, Abrams’s sequel will be a heartwarming experience.

To look back on the controversy circling around J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise is like trying to remember a distant dream: you vaguely recall that the fans of the long-running sci-fi franchise were freaking out about the idea of new actors slipping on the uniforms of James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, but so many Trekkies came to embrace Abrams’ “Star Trek” so quickly that it’s almost like the controversy never happened. Y’know, like pretty much everything that ever happened in the original “Star Trek” series and movies. Or have you forgotten how Nero (Eric Bana), the villain in the 2009 film, went back in time on a mission of vengeance and proceeded to change the course of history?

Of course you haven’t forgotten. And you can be damned sure the Trekkies haven’t, either. Ever since Abrams’ film effectively wiped the slate clean on “Trek” history, theories have been flying by at warp speed about whether the next film would find Kirk and company on an all-new voyage or if the storyline might feature new takes on more classic characters. The answer? A little from Column A and a little from Column B. Thing is, we can’t really tell you much about the bits from Column B. Or, rather, we could, but we don’t want to spoil the fun…even if at least one of those fun bits has been bandied about as a plot possibility for the sequel from the very beginning.

Like its predecessor, “Star Trek Into Darkness” more or less starts off at full throttle, with the crew of the Enterprise in the midst of a mission to a strange new world which hasn’t yet reached the level of technology as the worlds within the United Federation of Planets, putting it under protection of the so-called Prime Directive. If you’re unfamiliar with the “Trek” mythos, this basically means that the planet is supposed to be left alone to develop at its own pace, but even if you barely know “Trek” at all, you still probably know that Kirk’s never been a big fan of following the rules, and as a comparative youngster in Starfleet, he’s still learning that there are significant consequences when the rules are broken. What he’s also learning is that not every officer is cut from the same cloth as Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood); some tend toward the hard-ass method of command, like Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller).

Come to think of it, Kirk learns a lot of lessons in the film, most of them the hard way, but, hey, those are the lessons that tend to stick the strongest. In fact, the newly forged bonds between all the members of the Enterprise crew are tested profoundly over the course of the film, with Kirk and Spock struggling to find the friendship history tells us they are destined to have, Spock and Uhura still attempting to make their unlikely romance work, younger crew members like Sulu and Chekov trying to make their mark, and Scotty testing his boundaries as the ship’s engineer and learning how far his new captain is willing to trust him.

And then there’s the film’s mysterious villain, John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch of “Sherlock” fame. He is, to put it simply, a badass, and he’s definitely one of the most intimidating “Trek” villains since…well, gosh, I think you’d have to go all the way back to Khan. Harrison’s acts of terrorism unabashedly bring 9/11 to mind, but given the history of “Trek” paralleling present day events, this is hardly surprising.

“Star Trek Into Darkness” handily breaks the curse of every other “Trek” film being lackluster, with Abrams offering at least as much action, humor, and small character moments as he did the first time around. Mind you, it’s possible that diehard Trekkies could be split down the middle on their opinion of the film – torn between whether they like the various homages to past “Trek” adventures, some of which are extremely overt, or if they wish they’d left well enough alone and just created something completely new. In the end, though, the film proves so fast-moving and infectiously fun that they’d be better off just sitting back and enjoying the ride.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/05/16/movie-review-star-trek-into-darkness/feed/0The Light from the TV Shows: A Chat with Giancarlo Esposito (“Revolution”)http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/09/05/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-giancarlo-esposito-revolution/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/09/05/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-giancarlo-esposito-revolution/#commentsWed, 05 Sep 2012 19:02:04 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=18801It’s a matter of public record that I’ve interviewed a huge-ass number of people over the years, but given that most of those interviews tend to be on the phone, it never fails to give me a warm feeling inside when someone actually remembers me from an in-person encounter. Then again, one presumes that the cast of “Breaking Bad” doesn’t sit down and break bread with journalists on their home turf of Albuquerque all that often, so maybe that makes it a little easier to remember such an occasion.

Either way, it was still nice to see the warm glow of recognition in Giancarlo Esposito’s eyes when I came up to him at the Television Critics Association press tour this summer. I mean, it’s certainly better to see that than the steely anger we came to expect from him in his final appearances as Gustavo Fring, right? Sadly, it was a short chat, so we didn’t even get a chance to talk about Gus’s last days (except in passing reference) or even his Best Supporting Actor Emmy nod, but you can still look back at the far lengthier conversation we had a few years ago to get a bit more insight into his feelings about Gus and his career as it stood prior to “Breaking Bad.” For now, though, Esposito is all about looking forward…really, really intensely.

BE: It’s mutual, of course. So I’m curious: with “Revolution,” you’ve taken on another supporting role. Not that you don’t do them well, but do you have an active desire to kick it up to leading-man status, or do you just enjoy the challenge of making the most out of a smaller part.

GE: You know what? I always have a desire to make it to the big time. [Laughs.] But the more I’m able to put my heart and soul into a role and the fuller that character that is, then the more screen time it has, and for me that’s a plus. But I love doing what I do as a character actor, and I think that’s also important, because that enables me to strengthen my craft. And in this case, that supporting role is with some of the best folks in television. So to me, it’s a journey. I feel like there is a moment in time when there’ll be that moment to step up into films where I’m doing the lead and carrying everything, but right now I think that all is well.

I’m coming off this time with “Breaking Bad” and that’s been very special for me, and it’s a nice way to decompress and play a character that’s a heavy but probably a little more of a loose cannon, a little more psychotic. He’d love to think he’s always in control, but he does lose it. And he’s a guy who’s a little bit different than the last guy, but…audiences just love the bad guy! [Laughs.] And they love the character actor that can play him in a fuller way. So I’m all in. I’m all in with this “Revolution.” I think the show itself is about evolution of human beings, and on a grand scale. I mean, this is an epic show. I don’t know what people expect, but some seem to think that they may be seeing something they’ve seen before. They’re not. It’s a big show to do, a big show to produce…it’s a big, wide canvas of a show, but I think it’s not only a grand action/adventure series but it’s also a very dramatic, character-driven show as well.

BE: When I talked with Billy (Burke) earlier today, he said that he’d effectively said “yes” to “Revolution” before he’d even read the script, just based on who was affiliated with the show. Was that more or less the case for you as well?

GE: Well, I did actually read the script. [Laughs.] I’m always very interested in what the whole thing says. I’ve always loved Jon Favreau, and I’m fascinated with the way J.J. Abrams runs his family of filmmakers. I think he’s quite brilliant at that. Also, I hear about him from my children all the time, with “Super 8” and all that. They just love his work. But also there’s Eric Kripke, who I did not know but who I find to be a sharp mind and a really engaging writer. Smart. And to me, that’s high on the list. Did I want to be involved in something that was a little more commercial across the board? I didn’t think I did. But I realized once I said “yes” and we started working that I absolutely did. I want to work with people at the top of their game. Because, after all, I don’t want to do many more TV shows. I want this one to run a long time, and then I want to some major work…some more major work, because I’ve done some already…in feature films. But I want to be at home, I want to feel at home, and this is the right place to accomplish that.

BE: The last time I talked to you, you’d already made your directorial debut with “Gospel Hill,” but you were looking toward directing another film. Has that moved forward at all?

GE: Ah, I always think I’m moving forward. But sometimes I feel like I’m treading water. Or doing the moonwalk. [Laughs.] Unfortunately. Yes, it’s still alive, with two other projects I’d like to do, but…it’s funny: my career has changed, I’m at the precipice of a new day in my work, and I’m looking at everything in a new way. So the possibility that I would be cleaning the slate now truly exists, because new things are coming my way that are just of a higher caliber…and it breaks my heart. I want to tell films that are consciously driven, but I’m waking up to realize that a message has to be somewhat hidden for people to find rather than overt, and I feel as if there’s new projects coming my way, and I’m being encouraged to look at them seriously. The other part of it is, how do you get a film made today as somewhat of a neophyte director? I’ve directed one film. I hate that word to be in the same sentence with me, but I’ve gotta be humble, you know? I’ve been acting 47 years, and I’ve only directed one film, and that was three years ago. I used all of my acting ability to inform my directing, but I’m a newer director, which now…when I accept it, it excites me.

I looked at Jon Favreau today, and I said, “Favreau, I want you to talk to me. I think maybe I’d like you to be my mentor as a filmmaker.” Because I feel like I have that ability to be on his level as a filmmaker, of films that are big, monster films that people get a great amount of enjoyment out of. And there is some mythology in those films, too. And he looked at me and winked and said, “We will talk. It would be my honor.” So everything is new now. And redefined. Because people…I may have a little access than I had before. Am I still committed to doing socially driven films that have some kind of message? Absolutely. But here I am at “Revolution,” which has that message tailor-made in it while also being great entertainment. Does it have a lot of sword fighting and shooting and violence and all that? Yes. But for a reason. So if I just let go and surrender, I realize that I’ve been in the right place for awhile now. I’m just blown away that it could all come around like this.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/09/05/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-giancarlo-esposito-revolution/feed/0The Light from the TV Shows: Live from the Summer 2012 TCA Press Tourhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/07/25/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-live-from-the-summer-2012-tca-press-tour/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/07/25/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-live-from-the-summer-2012-tca-press-tour/#commentsWed, 25 Jul 2012 22:55:15 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=16691Yep, that’s right: much as I’ve done every summer since 2007, I’m coming to you straight from the Television Critics Association press tour. Unlike previous years, however, I’ve got my daughter with me this time around, since her birthday fell smack dab in the middle of the trip. As you can imagine, this is keeping me pretty busy, but I wanted to bring you at least a little bit of the TCA experience while I’m out there…and, rest assured, next week’s column will provide much of the same, since I’ll still be here then.

At this point, we’ve had panels for PBS, Fox, NBC, NBC’s subsidiary networks (Oxygen, E!, etc.), and a few locations on the web (Yahoo!, YouTube). I’m not in a position to go into great detail about everything I’ve seen and heard – I’ve got a little girls birthday to celebrate, after all – but you can find some key moments via my Twitter feed. I’ve had a few enjoyable close encounters here and there, talking to Sir Kenneth Branagh (PBS’s “Wallander”), William Forsythe and Zeljko Ivanek (Fox’s “Mob Doctor”), and Billy Burke and Giancarlo Esposito (NBC’s “Revolution”), and I’m looking forward to chatting with Lily Tomlin on ABC’s day and Kyle MacLachlan when CBS’s panels roll around. For the time being, however, I’ve pulled together some of the highlights from Fox’s panels. Hope you enjoy!

Nigel Lythgoe on why there’s never been a proper “So You Think You Can Dance” best-of DVD: “We’ve looked at doing it. It’s the music clearance is just really difficult, as well you know, in this country. There are no blanket agreements like there are in Europe. You can’t just use anything that’s been out there. If you want to use an Eagles track, you have to ask the publisher, the writer, every single Eagle. It just, at the end of the day, doesn’t make money because you’re laying so much money out on that early stage.”

Mindy Kaling on headlining her own show, “The Mindy Project”: “It’s awesome. Even more (than I imagined it would be). I mean, like, every day I wake up and I’m, like, ‘Oh, I’m the star of my own show that has my name in it and I get to write it and hire people, actors that I’ve loved for such a long time.’ It’s amazing. I’m going to turn into a monster. Like, I can’t handle it.”

Zach Gilford on his lack of job security on “The Mob Doctor”: “I think on a show like this, if someone wants to get back at (Jordana Spiro’s character), they could take out one of us. So you’ve got to not be an asshole on set and say the lines just right, because we’re all expendable.”

J.J. Abrams delivers a special recorded message to attendees of the “Fringe” panel: “I wish I could be there in person to thank each and every one of you personally for your unbelievable support of the series. ‘Fringe’ is a show that I’m enormously proud to be associated with. The work that the cast and crew have done I think has been amazing, but your support is really the thing that has kept it alive. Fox has been unbelievable, going far beyond any expectations allowing the show to be on the air, and while it’s something we’re all proud of, it’s a very rare thing, I think, in this day and age that a network will support a show that isn’t a massive hit, and ‘Fringe’ has always been true to its name, a little bit more of an outside the box series. The good thing about that for us is we can have these parties, for mixers, with every single viewer in attendance.”

Zingers from the ever-quotable Simon Cowell:

Q: Can I ask Britney (Spears) and Demi (Lovato) what other reality shows, competition shows have they watched and enjoyed?Simon: Don’t mention “The Voice.”

Demi: (Britney) is a sweetheart who is very honest.Simon: As sweet as a lemon.

Q: I was talking to an “American Idol” finalist the other day, and she seems to think that maybe these shows now like “The X Factor” and “Idol” are more about the judges and their drama and whether they’re going to leave or stay or what they’re saying, and that’s more important than the singers. Could you talk to that?Simon: When I’m doing my negotiations, yes. Always. Once it’s signed, then we go back to the contestants. Who was it (you were talking to), by the way?Q: Didi Benami.Simon: Who?Q: Didi Benami.Simon: I haven’t got a clue who that is.Q: Didi was in the Top 10 two years ago.Demi: A finalist and not winner.Simon: Okay. Must have been a while ago. And she’s not bitter at all…

And a few from the equally-quotable Gordon Ramsey as well:

Q: Gordon, aside from cleanliness, what else are you finding that’s wrong with these hotels (on “Hotel Hell”)?Gordon: Aside from cleanliness, what would I say? If any of you are single and are dating and are going away for a wonderful weekend like any couple would do, you get there and they suggest they’re going to upgrade you to the honeymoon suite, don’t take it.Q: Explain.Gordon: Just I’m trying to be serious, because it is somewhat…not just shocking. And, personally, I didn’t think it could shoot that far. Um…you haven’t let me finish my sentence. I’m talking about if you shake a can of Coke and open it…

Q: From the times you’ve been to this hotel (The Beverly Hilton), what would your rating here be?Gordon: You’re trying to get me into shit. Behave yourself. Come on. I’m not here to rate hotels here. In this hotel here?Q: Yeah.Gordon: Come on. What a shit question. I mean, as if I’m…Q: Cowardly answer.Gordon: I am being honest. I think the staff are amazing. I’ve never stayed here, so I wouldn’t like to criticize it. But I think the bigger the hotels, the less personal they become, for obvious reasons. And I always like to stay in the sort of small, tailor-made boutique hotels. So next time if I do stay here, then I’ll give you feedback, trust me.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/07/25/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-live-from-the-summer-2012-tca-press-tour/feed/0The Light from the TV Shows: 12 Shows to Look Forward to in 2012http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2011/12/29/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-12-shows-to-look-forward-to-in-2012/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2011/12/29/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-12-shows-to-look-forward-to-in-2012/#commentsThu, 29 Dec 2011 05:46:33 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=7882Just as 2011 is sure to end in a few days, 2012 is equally likely to follow on its heels, which means that the January TCA tour is right around the corner. As such, yours truly is about to be bombarded with the best and worst that the midseason has to offer…and, fortunately, there’s a lot more of the former than the latter. Indeed, there are a couple of shows that the broadcast networks have been unjustly sitting on for almost six months, even though they’re a damned sight better than most of the dreck we got back in September. (Stand up, please, “The Playboy Club.” Or, you know, pick the program of your choice. That one’s just easiest ’cause it was the first to go.) Much as last week found me offering up 11 shows, give or take, that I was sorry to bid adieu to in 2011, this week I’ve pulled together a list of 12 shows that I’m looking forward to checking out in 2012. Keep in mind, however, that I’m basing my excitement either on a rough cut of a pilot or, in some cases, merely on the hopefulness I get when I read about the show. Yes, this does often come back to bite me in the ass, but such is the life of a TV critic. If I’m wrong, I’ll roll with the punches. In the meantime, though, these are my personal picks for what’s looking good in the new year…

The Firm (NBC)

So sayeth the network: Based on the best-selling novel by world-renowned author John Grisham, “The Firm” is a new drama series that continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere (Josh Lucas), who, as a young associate 10 years earlier, had brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which had been operating as a front for the Chicago mob. After a difficult decade, which included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection Program, McDeere and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future — only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere. Abby McDeere (Molly Parker), Mitch’s supportive, smart and resourceful wife, who had helped her husband expose Bendini, Lambert & Locke, is excited to start a new life in Washington, D.C., as a school teacher and mom to their daughter, Claire (Natasha Calis). Ray McDeere (Callum Keith Rennie) is Mitch’s charming, yet volatile, older brother whose work as an investigator in Mitch’s office is uniquely informed by his past stretch in prison for manslaughter. Despite a gritty past that stands in stark contrast to that of his Harvard-grad brother, Ray shares one key quality with Mitch – a loyalty that is unbreakable. Tammy Hemphill (Juliette Lewis) is Mitch’s feisty, sexy receptionist whose work life is made all the more tumultuous by her on-again, off-again relationship with Ray. With a personality as arresting as her ever-changing hair color, Tammy is leery when Mitch accepts a deal to partner with a top law practice, as she’s not cut out for the conservative culture of a white-shoe firm.

My take: I literally only just got the pilot episode this morning, so I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but the combination of Lucas, Parker, and Lewis has me very intrigued, and the fact that Grisham himself is part of the mix makes me hopeful about the possibilities of where this series could go if it’s given the chance. That’s a big “if,” though, because this isn’t the first time a Grisham novel has made the jump to the small screen. Anyone remember “The Client,” with JoBeth Williams and John Heard? It’s become so obscure that there’s neither a Wikipedia page for it nor even a clip from it on YouTube. Let’s hope “The Firm” gets a better go of it than that.

So sayeth the network: Meet Marty Kaan (Don Cheadle), the big-money earner at Galweather & Stearn, one of the nation’s largest management consulting firms. Marty is, well, the sh*t and, by default, so is his hot, young team – The Pod – of big-balling power players – Jeannie (Kristen Bell), Clyde (Ben Schwartz) and Doug (Josh Lawson). These white-collar, Ivy League sharks will use anything (or anyone) to get their gullible corporate clients to sign their souls to Galweather and bank millions in oh-so-delicious billable hours. Cha-frickin’-ching, bitches. Their motto? Screw or be screwed. Just that simple. Marty and The Pod’s work life is all first-class, top-shelf, black Am Ex, the best suites at the nicest hotels. Wild nights on the town servicing the clients are all in a day’s work. Caviar, white truffles, Grey Goose and Dom, and the special attention of some sexy…local tour guides (well, really off-duty strippers Lexxie, Destiny and Nikki) – all billed to the bloated corporate client’s bankroll as “entertainment expenses.” Yes, these are the perks. It’s all a win-win…for Marty and his team: they get the account; the client gets a week of reckless debauchery in exchange for useless, indecipherable management directives, all for the low, low price of…millions.

My take: Damn, it’s good to see Don Cheadle back in full-on comedy mode again…almost as good as it is to get to look at Kristen Bell on a weekly basis once more. Showtime’s comedies are notoriously raucous, and this one looks to be no exception.

(Premiere date: January 8, 10 PM)

¡Rob! (CBS)

So sayeth the network: A comedy starring Rob Schneider as a lifelong bachelor who just married into a tight-knit Mexican-American family. Rob is a successful landscape architect who, after a whirlwind romance, marries Maggie (Claudia Bassols), a beautiful, smart book translator, who is way out of his league. After eloping in Las Vegas, Maggie and Rob must break the news to her overprotective, judgmental parents, Rosa (Diana Maria Riva) and Fernando (Cheech Marin), that they are married. Shocked by news that they’ve eloped, the family remains skeptical of Maggie’s choice for a husband, with the exception of her uncle Hector (Eugenio Derbez), the black sheep of the family, who immediately declares himself Rob’s best friend. Rob hopes he will one day win over his new in-laws, aunts, uncles and Maggie’s Abuelita (Lupe Ontiveros), and live happily ever after with his one true love, Maggie.

My take: I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m thrilled at the prospect of a Rob Schneider sitcom, but I do think that Schneider can be funny, and if he’s reigned in somewhat by the constraints of being on a broadcast network, i.e. the humor doesn’t descend into low-brow in a big way, then it might actually give us a chance to remember how funny the guy could be on “Saturday Night Live” when given the right material. Plus, Bassols is muy caliente, and who doesn’t like Cheech?

(Premiere date: January 12, 8:30 PM)

Napoleon Dynamite (Fox)

So sayeth the network: Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is a 16-year-old boy convinced – for no apparent reason – that he is destined for greatness and blessed with unlimited “sweet abilities.” He spends his days practicing ninja moves, drawing ligers, soul dancing and bragging about his “girlfriend in Oklahoma” whom nobody has ever seen. Napoleon’s brother, Kip (Aaron Ruell), is an unemployed 32-year-old who lives at home and believes he would be an amazing catch for any girl who would respond to his online come-ons. The Dynamite brothers live with Grandma (Sandy Martin), a crusty woman who can often be found four-wheeling with her lady friends at the local sand dunes. Napoleon’s allies include Pedro (Efren Ramirez), his unflappable best friend who has recently been elected class president; and Deb (Tina Majorino), an incredibly sweet girl who sees the good in Napoleon and dreams of someday being his wife. Napoleon’s Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) lives out of an orange custom van, where he obsesses over his botched high school football career and dreams up ways to become rich and famous. Then there’s Rex Kwon Do (Diedrich Bader), a self-proclaimed martial-arts master who runs the local dojo.

My take: I’m not necessarily the target audience for this series – I’ve seen the movie once, and I didn’t love it enough to see it a second time, let alone join the cult that’s built up around it – but I admit that I’m intrigued by the fact that every single member of the cast has returned to reprise their roles. Oh, sure, a cynic would point out that it’s not like they’ve got a whole heck of a lot else going on…kind of like I just did. But let’s hope that at least part of the reason they came back was because the writing was strong.

(Premiere date: January 15, 8:30 PM)

Alcatraz (Fox)

So sayeth the network: When San Francisco Police Department Det. Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a shocking suspect: Jack Sylvane (Jeffrey Pierce), an Alcatraz inmate who died over 30 years ago. Given her family history – both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster), were guards at the prison – Madsen’s interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill) tries to impede her investigation, she’s doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, Dr. Diego “Doc” Soto (Jorge Garcia), to help her piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he’s loose on the streets of San Francisco, exacting decades-old revenge and leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn’t aged a day since 1963 when Alcatraz was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the sadistic Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner). Detective Madsen and Soto must team with Hauser and his technician, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra), to stop Sylvane’s vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca’s own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won’t be the last to reappear from Alcatraz. Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Hauser has been awaiting the prisoners’ return for nearly 50 years. Soto will witness his life’s work – the history of Alcatraz – come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive San Francisco cop fiancé, Jimmy Dickens (Santiago Cabrera), at arm’s length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family’s past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history’s most dangerous criminals.

My take: Don’t tell me I’m the only guy who’s spent his life intrigued by Alcatraz. Take the built-in mystique surrounding the prison, throw in the sci-fi / supernatural premise, J.J. Abrams as executive-producer, and a cast filled with familiar faces who know their way around this genre, and you’ve got me hooked. It’s my second favorite hour-long of the midseason.

So sayeth the network: Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland) is a widower and single father haunted by an inability to connect to his mute 11-year-old son, Jake (David Mazouz). Caring, intelligent and thoughtful, Martin has tried everything to reach his son who shows little emotion and never allows himself to be touched by anyone, including Martin. Jake busies himself with cast-off cell phones, disassembling them and manipulating the parts, allowing him to see the world in his own special way. After multiple failed attempts at keeping Jake in school, Martin is visited by social worker Clea Hopkins (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who insists on doing an evaluation of the Bohms’ living situation. Although new at her job, Clea sees a man whose life has become dominated by a child he can no longer control. She believes his attempts to communicate with Jake are just wish fulfillment, and determines that it’s time for the state to intervene. But everything changes when Martin discovers that Jake possesses a gift of staggering genius – the ability to see things that no one else can, and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events. Jake is indeed communicating after all. But it’s not with words, it’s with numbers. Martin meets Arthur Teller (Danny Glover), a professor and an expert on children who possess special gifts when it comes to numbers. Now it’s up to Martin to decipher the meaning and connect the numbers to the cast of characters whose lives they affect.

My take: I still haven’t seen the pilot episode for the show, but the trailer really captured my imagination. Sutherland surely had his pick of projects in the wake of “24,” so I have to believe there’s something about “Touch” that really tickled his fancy. The fact that it’s created by Tim Kring, who ultimately disappointed with “Heroes,” makes me mildly concerned, but, hey, Season 1 of “Heroes” was pretty damned good. If Kring learned some valuable lessons from what went wrong with that series, here’s hoping he won’t make similar mistakes on “Touch.” (Please don’t let him make similar mistakes on “Touch.”)

(Premiere date: January 25, 9 PM; premiere March 19, 9 PM)

Luck (HBO)

So sayeth the network: A behind-the-track look at the world of horse racing and gamblingʼs denizens – owners, trainers, jockeys and gamblers. Chester “Ace” Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) is released from three years in federal prison. Heʼs met by his driver and bodyguard, Gus Demitriou
(Dennis Farina), who fronts as the owner of the $2 million Irish Horse that Ace just bought. A brilliant but disreputable trainer, the Peruvian Turo Escalante (John Ortiz), introduces us to their prized Irish thoroughbred, who is being examined by his girlfriend, track veterinarian Jo (Jill Hennessy). Meanwhile, veteran trainer-turned-owner Walter Smith (Nick Nolte) contains his optimism pinned on his promising “Big Horse” because heʼs wary. Of what, weʼre unsure, but we learn thereʼs a dark history and a shadow of scandal behind the horse. Four degenerate gamblers, Marcus (Kevin Dunn), Renzo (Ritchie Coster), Jerry (Jason Gedrick), and Lonnie (Ian Hart), meanwhile, are pooling their meager resources to bet Jerryʼs hunch on the dayʼs long shot, a high-stakes Pick Six winners contest.

My take: I admit it. I’m the dumbass who forgot that HBO was sneak-previewing “Luck” after the season finale of “Boardwalk Empire,” so I didn’t see it. And HBO has yet to send over the screener, so I’m kind of freaking out here, because everyone I know who has seen it has loved it. But, really, it’s David Milch material acted by Hoffman and Nolte, directed by Michael Mann. What’s not to freaking love?

(Premiere date: January 29, 19 PM)

Smash (NBC)

So sayeth the network: “Smash” is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a “smash.” The series centers on the process of creating a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe – written by the successful songwriting duo of Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing). Julia recently began the process of adopting a child with her husband Frank (Brian d’Arcy James) of many years, but her focus is torn when she has the opportunity to write another Broadway hit. A rivalry soon forms for the lead role between a youthful, inexperienced Midwestern beauty Karen (Katharine McPhee) – who is trying to find fame in the big city against all odds – and stage veteran Ivy Bell (Megan Hilty), who’s determined to leave the chorus line and finally get her big break. A tenacious producer Eileen (Anjelica Huston) discovers the “Marilyn” project and jumps on board with a brilliant director, Derek (Jack Davenport) – whose talent is matched by his cunning and egocentric amorality. The series stemmed from an idea of executive producer Steven Spielberg. The pilot was written by Theresa Rebeck. David Marshall Grant, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey also serve as executive producers. Original songs are written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who serve as executive producers as well.

My take: If you were wondering, this is my favorite hour-long of the midseason. It may seem like a glorified “Glee” when you watch the trailer, but I promise you that it was amazingly captivating from start to finish. I don’t know if they’re going to be able to maintain that level of awesomeness throughout the season, but for my money, this was a better pilot than anything I saw that premiered in the fall…which was particularly painful, since we’ve had the pilot since then. Thank God the time has finally come for the show to hit the air. I can’t wait.

(Premiere date: February 6, 10 PM)

The River (ABC)

So sayeth the network: Famed explorer Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) went looking for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon and never returned. The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, waiting to be discovered. To the millions of kids who grew up watching his show, Dr. Cole was a hero. To his own son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), he was more of an enigma. Now, six months after he vanished, Lincoln is finally ready to bury the past when Dr. Cole’s emergency beacon suddenly goes off. At the urging of his mother, Tess (Leslie Hope), Lincoln reluctantly joins her on a search for his father. To fund the rescue, they agree to let Dr. Cole’s cagey ex-producer, Clark (Paul Blackthorne), film the mission documentary-style. The mixed crew of old friends and new acquaintances includes the alluring and resourceful Lena (Eloise Mumford), loyal mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa) and lethal bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann).

My take: It’s never easy to do horror on broadcast television, but, seriously, this pilot creeped me the hell out. Again, it’s another case where you really have no clue if and/or how they’re going to be able to maintain this level of quality as the season progresses, but the fact that it’s the work of the “Paranormal Event” people has me very curious to see if they can pull it off.

(Premiere date: February 7, 9 PM)

Comic Men (AMC)

So sayeth the network: An unscripted series set in Smith’s iconic comic shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash that captures the world of the neighborhood comic book store and fanboy culture.

My take: Your guess is about as good as mine when it comes to this show, which used to be called “Secret Stash” until just a few weeks ago. There’s no mention of the series on AMC’s website – the above text comes from the schedule for the TCA tour – and there’s certainly no trailer or clips to be had. As someone who spent much of his youth…okay, fine, and into my twenties…frequenting comic book stores, I know the inherent humor to be had in those places, so I’m extremely hopeful that Smith is the man who can make that translate into a funny-ass reality show. But we shall see.

(Premiere date: February 12, 10 PM)

GCB (ABC)

So sayeth the network: Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb), once the ultimate high school “mean girl,” is forced to return home in disgrace after her marriage ends in scandal. Reluctant but desperate, Amanda has no choice but to turn to her mother, Gigi (Annie Potts), for help. Gigi, the quintessential proper Dallas socialite, wants nothing more than to have Amanda back and to give Amanda’s two teenage kids a good southern upbringing. The problem is that Amanda is nothing like the girl she was 20 years ago and is hesitant about re-entering this world of opulence, status and salacious rumor mills. She is hopeful for a new start, but soon finds it’s not that easy to escape your past in this tightknit community. The women of Dallas are none too happy to see Amanda back in town. Carlene Cockburn (Kristin Chenoweth), once the ugly duckling, was tortured by Amanda in high school but has made quite the “assisted” transformation since. Now she has a picture-perfect, lavish life with a gorgeous husband, yet she still can’t seem to let go of old grudges. Then there’s Cricket Caruth-Reilly (Miriam Shor) whose boyfriend Amanda stole and later married. Cricket is now a tough-as-nails, successful businesswoman with a perfect marriage – at least so it appears from the outside. Sharon Peacham (Jennifer Aspen), the fallen beauty queen whose chance at the Miss Teen Dallas crown was snatched away by a malicious rumor Amanda started, hasn’t really been the same since. Finally, there’s Heather Cruz (Marisol Nichols), a bit of an outsider back in high school who has now become fully inducted into this twisted little social clique of affluent, sugary, God-fearing, steely women whose bark is as bad as their bite.

My take: I’m not really a soap-opera guy, but when someone can take soapy elements and find the funny in them, I’m willing to give it a chance, and the pilot for this series made me laugh on several occasions. Chenoweth is always a lot of fun, and although you may not recognize the names of the other cast members, there are plenty of familiar faces in the bunch. It’s clear that ABC is hoping to sell this to audiences as the heir apparent to “Desperate Housewives.” Based on what I’ve seen, it’s got my vote.

(Premiere date: March 4, 10 PM)

Masterpiece: Sherlock II (PBS)

So sayeth the network: The struggle goes on in 21st century London as the updated team of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson battle the worst that modern criminality has to offer, including a computer-savvy arch-villain who wants to rule the world.

My take: I really, really, really loved the first one. I cannot wait to see the second one. If I end up getting an advance screener of the three-part miniseries when I get to the TCA tour, I’m going to be the happiest camper this side of Scotland Yard. As it stands right now, however, I’ve seen no more than the brief clips that are on YouTube. Still, they’re enough to show that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have had no trouble stepping back into the roles of Holmes and Watson. Do you get the impression that I’m excited? May seems a lifetime away…

What the network says: “A comedy about two young women waitressing at a greasy spoon diner who strike up an unlikely friendship in the hopes of launching a successful business – if only they can raise the cash. Sassy, streetwise Max Black works two jobs just to get by, one of which is waiting tables during the night shift at the retro-hip Williamsburg Diner. Sophisticated Caroline Channing is an uptown trust fund princess who’s having a run of bad luck that forces her to reluctantly give waitressing a shot. At first, Max sees Caroline as yet another in a long line of inept servers she must cover for, but she’s surprised to find that Caroline has as much substance as she does style. When Caroline discovers Max’s knack for baking amazing cupcakes, she sees a lucrative future for them, but they first need to raise the start-up money. While they save their tips, they’ll stay at the restaurant, working with Oleg, an overly flirtatious Russian cook; Earl, a 75-year-old kool-kat cashier; and Han Lee, the new, eager-to-please owner of the diner. Working together, these two broke girls living in one expensive city might just find the perfect recipe for their big break.”

What we say: What’s this? A new sitcom in CBS’s Monday night lineup that isn’t a Chuck Lorre production? Will wonders never cease! Better yet, it’s a relatively strong one, though like so many other sitcom entries this season, it’s one where the leads are strong but the ensemble surrounding them is hit or miss…and, unfortunately, that includes Garrett Morris, who deserves so much better than hackneyed one-liners. (There’s a Duke University locker room joke, for God’s sake. Uh, zing?) Dennings, however, is the sarcastic version of Zooey Deschanel, which is to say that she’s cute, funny, and she could take you down a peg without even blinking, and Beth Behr is, for lack of a more elaborate phrase, sweet and pretty. The two of them also have instant chemistry together. If a cast as strong as “Mad Love” couldn’t make it more than a season, we probably shouldn’t pin any major hopes on “2 Broke Girls,” but it’s a certainly a show that we wouldn’t mind seeing succeed.

What the network says: “A drama about an NYPD detective with a flawless memory who not only remembers her every moment and emotion, but is physically incapable of forgetting. This extraordinary ability both enhances and complicates all aspects of her life.”

What we say: If you’re a sucker for a procedural with a gimmick, look no further. Call it Marilu Henner meets “The Mentalist,” with Carrie Wells – Montgomery’s character – using her memory to solve crimes while also being tortured by a childhood event which, for reasons we will no doubt learn in the season finale cliffhanger, has been one of the few moments in her life that she can’t remember. Of course there’s a romantic past with fellow detective Al Burns (Walsh), so you know that’ll be a recurring plot line as well. Frankly, the best member of the ensemble is television stalwart Michael Gaston, who’s the only member of Burns’s team of detectives who makes any sort of impression whatsoever. Like “The Mentalist,” they’ll have to quickly make the show less about the gimmick and more about the ensemble for “Unforgettable” to come anywhere close to living up to its title.

What the network says: “A comedy about the unlikely friendship between a traditional, refined writer and an unrefined personal trainer.”

What we say: It doesn’t take much to figure out that if you blended Hornsby’s and Dillon’s characters together, you’d get some approximation of Barney Stinson, but this definitely isn’t “The Bro Code: The Series.” Ironically, “Gentleman” is the exact opposite of just about every other new sitcom to hit the airwaves this season, in that the ensemble is much more charming and funny than the leads. Actually, that’s not entirely true: the leads are fine, but Dillon in particular is stuck playing a man-brute while Hornsby has to be perpetually prim and proper, and although the latter’s not so bad, Dillon seriously needs to dial it down a few notches. But Foley’s as hilarious as usual in the role of Hornsby’s boss, who’s feeling his age and is trying desperately to make himself look young and seem relevant, and although Rajskub doesn’t get to do much more than act bitchy, there’s a lot of potential with the casting of Rhys Darby as her husband, who’s laugh-out-loud funny every time he opens his mouth. As it stands, though, we’re still a long, long way from inspiring me to switch my allegiance from “Parks & Recreation.”

What the network says: “A crime thriller about a former-CIA agent who teams up with a mysterious billionaire to prevent violent crimes using their own brand of vigilante justice.”

What we say: Be honest: you know the mere fact that J.J. Abrams’ name is in the credits was enough to inspire a raising of the eyebrows and an immediate curiosity about the series. Then, however, you may have suddenly flashed back to last season’s “Undercovers” and sighed a bit. Fortunately, this is much closer to “Alias,” but with the added bonus of Michael Emerson, who’s got just as much creepy charisma here as he did when he was playing Benjamin Linus on “Lost.” Caviezel’s playing a strong but silent type who throws out the occasional witty one-liner, but the action’s what keeps things going, plus a bit of the fear of the information age that drove such films as “Enemy of the State” and “Eagle Eye.” I’m inevitably way more intrigued by Emerson’s character than I am Caviezel’s, but the latter sure plays the bad-ass well in the pilot. I’m just curious to see if CBS’s audience can accept a bad-ass on a weekly basis. For the moment, though, they’ve got me sold.

What the network says: “A drama about a brilliant, charismatic surgeon whose life changes forever when his deceased ex-wife begins teaching him the meaning of life from the ‘hereafter.’”

What we say: Okay, seriously, what is it about CBS Friday nights and series about people who can talk (or at least whisper) to ghosts? Beats me, but you can’t blame the powers that be for playing it safe and sticking with what’s worked for them in the past. There’s schmaltz, as you’d expect from a series where a guy’s talking to the spirit of the late love of his life, but Wilson plays it well, and with Margo Martindale in the mix, you can count on a certain amount of snippy dialogue. For my part, I’d watch this thing every week if we could keep Jonathan Demme in the director’s chair, as he is for the first episode – call me crazy, but I’d rank this right up there with “Reaper” as a perfectly delivered pilot – but somehow I suspect that’s not likely to happen. Still, if future episodes can match the tone that he’s set and keep the proceedings from wallowing in sentimentality, I’d be willing to revisit the series on a regular basis.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2011/09/19/bullz-eyes-2011-fall-tv-preview-whats-new-for-cbs/feed/0A Chat with Isabella Rossellinihttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/06/16/a-chat-with-isabella-rossellini/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/06/16/a-chat-with-isabella-rossellini/#commentsWed, 16 Jun 2010 17:13:25 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=876Let us not mince words: Isabella Rossellini is one of the most beautiful actresses in the business. This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows of her gene pool (she’s Ingrid Bergman’s daughter), but given that she seems to pop up all too infrequently in films and on television, perhaps a few more directors and directors need to be reminded. Fortunately for you and I, Rossellini can be found amongst the cast of the “The Phantom,” SyFy’s attempt to reinvigorate the franchise of the character often referred to as “The Ghost Who Walks,” which premieres on June 20th. This appearance was particularly fortunate for me, as it presented me with the opportunity to chat with Rossellini about her work not only in this production but also in “Blue Velvet,” “Friends,” “Alias,” “30 Rock,” and her infamous Sundance Channel short-film series, “Green Porno.”

Prepare for your heart to go pitter-pat as you read…

Isabella Rossellini: Hi!

Bullz-Eye: Hello! How are you?

IR: I’m fine, thanks. And you?

BE: I’m wonderful. It’s a pleasure to speak with you.

IR: It’s nice to talk to you. Thank you for interviewing me!

BE: (Laughs) Not a problem! Well, “The Phantom” is certainly not your first foray into the world of science fiction, but are you actually a fan of the genre?

IR: I’m not really a fan of the genre. You know, I do see some films, but I must say I don’t go see them religiously. I love working with the producer, Robert Halmi, with whom I’ve done several films, so when Halmi called me to play this small role in “The Phantom,” I had no hesitation. I’ve been with him for five or six productions in the last 25 years, among which are “Merlin,” “The Odyssey,” and “Don Quixote,” and they’ve always been wonderful. They’ve always been… (Hesitates) It’s been great to work with the group, he has a fantastic eye, and every time he hires a director, it’s always somebody young who…well, he just has an eye. He hires them, and they turn out to be fantastic and, a few years later, they’re top directors. That’s how it has been with Paulo (Barzman), the director of “The Phantom.” So the reason why I said “yes” to this small part was because of this history that I had with Bob Halmi, and…I was surprised, actually. I had a doubt. For me, the Phantom was so much that image that I had from the 1930s, and he kept on saying, “No, no, it has nothing to do with that. It’s not trying to be retro.” And that image of the original comic strip was so strong that I was amazed, actually, when I arrived and had seen how they had transformed it to be a contemporary, modern film.

BE: So what are the challenges of playing a part like this? Because I’d think it would be a challenge to play a live-action comic book character without taking it over the top.

IR: Well, actually, you know, to tell you the truth, there were no challenges. At the beginning, you search a little bit for the look, especially when you play a small part. Every beat counts, you know. Sometimes when you have the lead, if you think it, you maybe play a part too seriously. You think, “Maybe I should smile,” and you have other possibilities later in the film to add a smile or to add some softness to your character, for shading. But when you play a small role, in a way, you have to hit every note correctly, so I think that the way she looked also was very important. When I was told that they wanted me to be a blonde…because they told me on the phone: I live in New York, but the film was shot in Montreal…I said, “Oh, blonde, it wouldn’t work with me. I’ve tried it several times, but I can’t go with it. My hair is brown. I can become easily black-haired. I can even become red-haired. But blonde has never worked with me.” But when I arrived, inevitably, there were all these blonde wigs, so I said, “Okay, I’ll show you what I mean.” And, instead, it worked perfectly, because the character should be totally artificial. I had these metallic clothes that always tended to be on the silver side, so, actually, the look of this evil person was helped a lot…it helped me to imagine the character. But the challenge is not the words. It’s so much fun that I’m always amazed that I even get paid for it. (Laughs)

BE: As far as the blonde look, I felt like it actually added to the iciness of the character…

IR: Exactly! When I saw it in with the silver clothes and with the lips and the heavy make-up…she is a person who has no feeling. (Starts to laugh) She loves technology, she loves what she can do, but she has absolutely no feeling. And no morals. She is totally amoral.

BE: …and I was actually preparing to ask you if playing the villain is as much fun as it seems to be, but you just addressed that.

IR: Oh, it is! It really is. I don’t know why it is so much. Maybe it’s because, in our lives, we’re always considering ourselves to be good. The majority of us make an effort to be good and nice, so that when you’re given free reign to be evil, it feels so liberating! (Laughs)

BE: Your character also gets to play off another villain, played by Cas Anvar. Did you guys have fun trying to match each others’ evilness?

IR: (Laughs) Yes! It was fun to work, but I have to say that I was on the set very briefly. I was on the set…I think hardly a week. I think it was less than a week. So my evilness casts a shadow in the film, and you certainly remember the horrible lady, but unfortunately I think I only shot three or four days. Bella was memorable because she was so nasty… (Laughs) …but we shot it very fast, my role, so I didn’t really have much time to have many scenes or to get to know everybody well.

BE: To jump back to discussing Robert Halmi for a moment, I’m sure I’ve talked to two dozen people who’ve worked for him over the years, and every one of them has spoken of what a wonderful guy he is.

IR: Yeah, you know, he is. Generally, I choose my roles based on who’s directing. I never really…you know, you look at the producer to make sure he’s serious, that he has the distribution, that he knows how to manage financially a film, but I never really look at the producer. I always look at the name of the director. And with Bob Halmi, I don’t even look at the director…sometimes I don’t even know their work!…because he has this incredible eye where he can always cast a new director who’s done a small film somewhere in the world. Also, the other thing with Halmi is that he’s Hungarian, so he speaks Russian, he speaks English, he speaks Italian…he speaks every language! He travels extensively all over the world. I’ve worked with him with directors from England, from Russia…we worked with Andrei Konchalovsky, who then became such an established director…because he can see talent. He really is not only a fantastic producer but a real talent scout.

BE: I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him. But I have heard people do some really bad impressions of him.

IR: (Bursts out laughing) Yes, because of his accent…and because he has no patience!

BE: I can’t remember who it was, but I spoke to someone not long ago who was talking about how he’d pitched a project to Halmi, and his response was, “Goddammit, we’ll do it!”

IR: (Laughs) He’s a do-er, definitely! You know, I met him in a very funny circumstance. When my mother died, my mother had just published…well, ten years earlier…her autobiography, and when she died, her agent wanted to make it into a film. And in the way she was saying it, she was trying to convince us children…we didn’t really want to have Mama in a film on television, but she said, “No, you’d better do it yourself, because if you do it yourself, then you have control of it.” She said, “If you don’t do anything, then the film can still be based on press articles and interviews with other people, and they can still make a biography of her, and then you have no control, and that’s when it really is a problem.” So it was my mom’s agent, Kay Brown…imagine, of all people! She was working under (David O.) Selznick, and she was the one who brought Selznick the script of “Gone with the Wind,” so you talk about a long history with the cinema! But it was Kay Brown who suggested that the four of us…Ingrid Bergman’s children…meet with Robert Halmi, and I went with the most hostile attitude, because I felt like I did not want to have a film made about my mom, and yet I was given no choice, because otherwise they were going to make a bad film about her, no doubt. So I went with such anger, and he charmed me instantly. And since then, we ended up not making the film about Mama, but I’ve made lots of films with him, and we are good friends. He’s been one of the most wonderful friends, but he’s also been one of the best work collaborators that I’ve had.

BE: Well, having brought up your mother, I wanted to ask you about how you first came to acting. I know you’d kind of dipped your toe into the waters when you appeared with her in “A Matter of Time,” but what made you decide to shift from a pretty successful modeling career into the family profession, as it were?

IR: Well, you know, what happened was that modeling…I knew that it was not going to last. I did not want to act, because I thought that I could never be as good as my mom, and so I was always going to be a frustrated person in my life because everyone would say, “Oh, she’s not as good as her mom,” and it was going to be very difficult to match my mom’s career. So I thought that I wasn’t going to be an actress. When I became a model, and then I became quite successful as a model, I still loved films very much, so I thought, “Well, let me try and be an actress,” because then I had the certitude that I could do it, that I could make it. I did know how to have a career, and I’d had a big career as a model, so I thought, “Well, let me try, and if it works, it doesn’t work, it wouldn’t be as big a mistake as it would’ve been when I was 18,” because I knew that I’d been successful in my career, and now I was trying to evolve. As a model, you have to evolve into something else. You know that it’s one of those careers, like a sports person or a dancer, where you stop when you’re 30 or 35. But it was the success of modeling that gave me the courage to attempt acting, and model and acting are very related. There is no dialogue or there is no story that you tell, but you have to emote in front of the camera, you have to express emotions. So the success of being a model gave me the confidence to think that maybe I could learn lines and place them into a story… (Laughs) …and could just do it! And my acting career has been only rewarding. I’ve loved it!

BE: As it happens, I caught a bit of “White Nights” on cable last night.

IR: Oh, you did? How nice! That was one of my first films! It was the first film that I said, “I’ll be an actress.” With “A Matter of Time,” I did that because my mom was in Rome filming that film, and she thought that it would be fun to have her children one day on the set with her, so she got us a job on the set, so one of us could be with her all day and see what was happening.

BE: With “Blue Velvet,” what was it like to work with Dennis Hopper? I mean, he was a pretty big name, and for all practical purposes, you were still a pretty new actress at that point.

IR: Yes, because that was only my second film! (Laughs) You know, Dennis Hopper was wonderful. When he did “Blue Velvet,” he had just come out of rehab, and as David Lynch said, “It’s like sitting next to a ticking bomb.” (Laughs) We never knew if he was going to remain sober or not! But he had gone through Hell and came back out the other side, and he had that wisdom and compassion. He was non-judgmental of other people, he was open, he had heard it all. You could really tell Dennis anything, and he would laugh or make you feel good about it. There are very few people who come out of what he had come out of, his journey, but when they do, as Dennis did, they are really tremendous people, and Dennis, for sure, was one of them.

BE: Your performance in the film as Dorothy…I’ve always wondered how David got such a gut-wrenching performance out of you, and if the role left any residual effects.

IR: (Laughs) Well, David is a very good director, and it was very well written, the script, so all of that obviously…sometimes you can be as good as your role is written, then you can enhance it, but the role was fantastic, so I definitely owe it to David’s talent. No, it didn’t have a lasting effect on me, but it makes me a little bit nostalgic. It still does. Recently…I forget where I was, but they were showing clips of me and my films during an interview, and there was obviously one of “Blue Velvet.” I don’t know why it hit me that time, but I was hit with just an incredible heartache, and I became so nostalgic of that film and of the group of people that I worked with. It was even before Dennis died, so I think now it would be even more devastating to show a clip of “Blue Velvet,” now that Dennis is dead. I was really lucky. When we were doing the film, we realized it. I thought that I was doing a special film, but certainly I didn’t know that the film was going to get so much attention and so much success. But it did feel special when we were doing it. It was wonderful. It was a wonderful set.

BE: I have to admit something to you: as soon as I saw your name amongst the cast of “The Phantom,” my first thought was actually not of “Blue Velvet,” but of your episode of “Friends.”

IR: (Laughs) That is incredible, you know? One day, one scene! Once, I was…I live in the country, and my neighbor said, “Isabella, can you do me a favor? I will win this game if I can bring the most famous star to this radio show. Can you answer for me?” And I said, “Of course,” because it was a mere phone call. And then the next day, the radio calls me, and they had to make sure that it was really me, that it wasn’t just somebody putting on an accent…so they said the line from “Friends” about the list, and they said, “What is this?” And I didn’t remember! (Laughs) But then I finally got it, and I remembered that it was the line from “Friends.” But I was so stunned that the television show was so popular that, to identify yourself, you’d have to repeat the line. More than my name or my accent, it was, if I knew the line, then I was for sure Isabella Rossellini. (Laughs)

BE: I also think about the way David Letterman has stretched out the pronunciation of your name.

IR: Oh, you know, it’s a nightmare, because every time David Letterman says, “Eeeeeeeesabellllllla Rrrrrrrossalliiiiiiiini,” for the next three or four days, as I walk down the street, I hear people say, “Eeeeeeeesabellllllla Roooooooossalliiiiiiiini!” (Laughs) And they fill me with embarrassment!

We interrupt this interview for an MP3…

Okay, I never do this, but I feel obliged to include an MP3 of this particular exchange, because the written word just doesn’t do it justice, so here you go:

BE: I’m actually a member of the Television Critics Association, so I was there when you were doing your panel for “Green Porno” for the Sundance Channel, and I just think those are a stitch.

IR: (Laughs) What does this mean, “a stitch”?

BE: (Laughs) It means that I think they’re hysterical. And educational, too!

IR: Well, they’re meant to be funny… (Laughs) …but then I wanted people to say, “Oh, I didn’t know that,” so I wanted that reaction.

BE: So how did the idea for the films come about?

IR: Well, I was always interested in animals since I was a little girl, and Robert Redford was of the idea that the internet can be a new outlet for short format films, because short format films had fallen out of grace. Now, the shortest form that you can do professionally is the half-hour of television. Any short film is done by a student at university to showcase their talent, but they don’t have an outlet. They have festivals, but not a professional outlet where they earn money. But Redford thought that the internet might be a possibility, so he reached out to some of the community, including me, because, you know, I’ve done so many independent films. (Laughs) Every other year, I’m there at the festival! And he had caught the first film that I had written, called “My Dad Is 100 Years Old,” and he really liked that film, so he proposed that I would do a series, and he said, “You know, if the series can be about the environment, I would pay more attention to it, because I want Sundance to be very involved with the environment.” And at the time, Sundance was doing…and is still doing today…a series called “The Green,” and that gave me the idea to call it “Green Porno,” because I was more interested in animals, but I said, “Nobody’s interested in animals, but if I make it about the sex life of animals…” (Starts to laugh) “…it’ll be interesting to me, it’ll be interesting to a big audience, and Bob will be happy because it’s green!”

BE: I wanted to ask you about a couple of your other television appearances. You were a recurring character on “Alias” as Sydney Bristow’s aunt. How did that come about?

IR: Oh, the character on “Alias” was…actually, it was the great J.J. Abrams who asked for me, and I was incredibly honored. When…oh, what is the name of the fantastic Swedish accent who played the mother? Lena Olin! For whatever reason, Lena Olin couldn’t do the whole series, because the series lasted for many, many years. Then J.J. said, maybe because I’m half-Swedish, “Could you play the sister, so we can still have this evil family?” (Laughs) So I did! I came in and played a few episodes for that season when Lena couldn’t do it, and it worked perfectly well, because Lena and I could be sisters. I think we have a similar accent, and we’re physically similar. We’re often up for the same parts! So it was great.

BE: I have just two more quick ones to close. First, do you think we’ll ever see you return to “30 Rock”?

IR: You know, everybody asks me this, and I am asking myself the same question every time. When we did the show, I got so many compliments, but also from Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, and they said, “Oh, you’ve got to come back! This is too good, with you as the character of the ex-wife!” So I was convinced that I would have, nearly every year, been able to play a couple of episodes with this fantastic relationship and this unresolved love that translated to great hostility and hatred. So I am actually surprised that I haven’t been asked back…but I haven’t!

BE: I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it may yet happen.

IR: They certainly have the gift of making you feel that you’re the most important person on Earth with the way they compliment you! (Laughs)

IR: (Laughs) Oh, I haven’t thought about that! I was about to say “Happy Birthday,” because for a lot of people it is, but I have to say that I don’t mind growing old. My birthday is soon, so I’m organizing a big party for myself! (Laughs) But I could understand if “Happy Birthday” is sometimes the saddest music in the world, especially as the years grow bigger. I do love working with Guy Maddin, with whom I’ve done several films. I’m about to leave in two weeks to make his new film, “Keyhole.”